May 5th                 (Sunday)  MSCA 6-HOUR Regularity Mallala – contact Neil Martin, Duane Kaak or Roger Lange for information

May 9th               (Wednesday) Midweek Run – The Rex Hotel 12:30pm . . . see Calendar for more details Lawrie Placing 0407 286 194

May 17th – 19th      Weekender featuring the Fleurieu staying in Goolwa – see Calendar for details

May 21st                  (Tuesday)  General Meeting, Sporting Car Club 8.00pm

June 16th             (Sunday)  Run to Beach Road Winery, McLaren Vale – see Calendar for full details

June 18th            (Tuesday) General Meeting, Sporting Car Club 8.00 pm

June 23rd            (Sunday)  MSCA Super Sprint, Mallala – including a Come and Try . . . further info from Roger Lange

July 16th             (Tuesday)  General Meeting, Sporting Car Club 8.00 pm

July 21st            (Sunday) Observation Run – details t.b.a.

We have had a busy and successful start to the year with two significant events, being the MSCA picnic (reported in the last Fastrak) and the All British Day at Echunga Oval of Sunday 3rd March. Both events had a great turnout of Triumphs, and again thanks to Roger Lange for his work with “Triumphs in the Pits” at MSCA, and our ABD committee members, Geoff Ellis and Stephen Wade, for helping organise such a great ABD event.
We had great weather, and no repeat of the 2023 gazebo disaster, albeit that this year, everything was tied down to vehicles, just in case. Stephen put a lot of work into arranging our display in model order, and we had an impressive row of TR2 to TR7 inclusive in the front row. The TR Register and the Stag Club were adjacent, so there was a very strong and visually impressive Triumph presence. Special thanks also to all those who assisted with marshalling, to make sure we were one of the most organised groups at the event.

A small but jovial group joined Lawrie and Kay Placing at The Junction Bar and Bistro, Camden Park, for a mid-week lunch on Tuesday 12th March. There was great food and company, and thanks Lawrie and Kay for arranging these get togethers.

Our March meeting was well attended, although Secretary Duane was missed. Vice President Richard Sellars did a great job deputising for Duane. Due to various mechanical issues with the two scheduled cars on stage, I organised for Bob Kretschmer and new member, Hayden Burge to bring their cars along when I was at the mid-week lunch. Due to having a senior’s moment, I had forgotten that I had also asked Dino Vettese to bring one of his fleet along whilst we were both at the ABD. As a result, we had three vehicles on stage.

We heard about Bob’s long association with his TR4A, from when he first owned in in the 1960’s, to repurchasing it after restoration by Richard Sutherland around 2015. Hayden has recently purchased his immaculate Stag from NSW, having been a Stag owner in his younger days, and had only got it though Regency Park a few days prior to having it on stage. Dino’s magnificent TR6 was also on show, and Dino retold the tale of purchasing it from the owner of Classic and Sports Car Boutique, Geoff Mockford. Thanks to Bob, Hayden and Dino for bringing their cars along, and sharing their stories with club members.
The Weekender is being held on the 17th to 19th May, based at the Goolwa Motel. Bill and Margie have an exciting program organised, and it is now close to being fully subscribed. I urge anyone who has not booked their spot already, to contact the Berlemons (Bill ph 0409 894 314 or Margie ph 0438 836 837) to get your name on the list. By the time you read this, all places may have been taken, however it would still be worth being on the waiting list, as the Weekender is always one of the highlights of the club year.

Natalie Farrell has got two excellent social runs planned. We will be heading to Riverbend Park at Clarendon on Sunday 21st April, for a club-sponsored BBQ. We meet at 9.45am for a 10.00am departure at the Burnside Town Hall car park. Bring out your Triumph for a great Adelaide Hills drive to a most picturesque destination and enjoy a great BBQ on us. Phone Natalie on 0455 250 990 for more details and to confirm you are coming, as we need this for catering purposes. On 16th June, we are going to the Beach Road Winery at McLaren Vale for lunch – Pizzas and/or salads will be on the menu. See the TSOA Calendar for more details.

The Sporting Car Club of SA has its 90th Anniversary “Old Crocks’ Run”, starting at Victoria Park Grandstand and proceeding down to Wigley Reserve, Glenelg, on Sunday 5th May 2024. A display of vehicles along with food and drink stalls and other entertainment for the whole family and car enthusiast is planned at Glenelg. There may be an opportunity for TSOA to be involved in this event. More to come shortly.

Regards
Alex Smithson
President

We are back into the swing of things with normal club meetings resuming for 2024. We had a good turnout of members to our February meeting, and we had two cars on stage, both of which had been winners at last year’s Day of Triumph.

Firstly, Chris Marshall displayed and told us about his lovely “French blue” 1974 Stag. He purchased it from NSW about 5 years ago, and we heard about it being impounded upon delivery by the police, because it did not have an engine number stamped on the block. It did seem a bit of an overreaction by Motor Registration, but I suppose “rules are rules”. Luckily, this is now a distant memory for Chris, who is enjoying driving this very nice car whenever possible.

We then heard from Life Member Roger Lange about his TR7V8 which he also had on display. Roger purchased the car from another club member, Dino Vettese, and after lots of work previously by Dino, and then by Roger, this is now a really great Wedge, of which Roger is justifiably, very proud.

Bill Berlemon also gave us details of an exciting Weekender program for the weekend of 17th to 19th May, based at the Goolwa Motel. The club executive has increased the subsidy for the event to make its cost within the reach of all members, at only $260 per head (twin share) all inclusive. Bill and Margie have already put in a huge amount of time developing and fine tuning the program, and with only 15 rooms available, these will fill very quickly. If you have not booked in with Bill and Margie yet, I strongly suggest you do so as soon as you read this report.

The MSCA 50th Anniversary picnic was held at the Mount Barker Oval on Sunday 25th February. We had a record number of club members and well over 20 Triumph vehicles attend, and it was a most enjoyable day. Thanks to Roger Lange’s efforts to establish the theme of “Triumphs in the Pits” with lots of props, race numbers on cars etc, TSOA were runaway winners of the “best display” of any car club at the picnic. MSCA also made various presentations to drivers who had completed through the year, and as well as winning his class, our own Neil Martin won the prestigious “Sprint Driver of the Year” award. This is a great achievement, considering the amount of competition in MSCA, and it is the second time Neil has been awarded this trophy. Congratulations Neil, for doing our club proud on the racetrack.

Lastly, a final reminder that the All British Day is at Echunga Oval of Sunday 3rd March. If you have not registered, please still think about coming along as a spectator. It is always a great day, and this year, we plan to have our gazebos firmly tied down to heavy objects (e.g. Triumphs) to avoid a repeat of last year’s debacle. Stephen Wade has allocated specific parking for each TSOA entrant, so please look at Stephen’s email to know which spot you have been allocated.

Regards
Alex Smithson – President

I trust all TSOA members had a great Christmas and New Year and are looking forward to getting out in their Triumphs in 2024. We have not had formal club meetings in December and January, and so we will be getting back to business in earnest at our February meeting.

We had a great run to Gumeracha at the beginning of December, with a good turnout of members, and coffee enjoyed at a new café in Gumeracha. Members could then choose to go to either Torrens Valley Orchard or Kenton Valley Cherries. After the heavy rains a week or two earlier, we thought that supply of cherries might be limited, but at Kenton Valley Cherries at least, there were plenty available, and these were very reasonably priced. Thanks to Bill and Margie Berlemon for organising another great day.

The “Apres Run” was on the 28th December. I was unable to attend this run, but I understand that it was well attended with over 30 members and partners present. It was, as I understand, great weather, and the Macclesfield Hotel put on good quality and generous sized meals. Thanks to Roger and Cherri Lange for organising this ever-popular event.

I was also unable to attend the January informal meeting, and thanks to Duane Kaak for standing in for me. I understand that there was only a reasonably small number in attendance, however they were entertained and informed about model yacht racing by our multi-skilled racer, Neil Martin. Neil retired from work at Christmas and is now an even more dedicated competitor in classic car racing and his new passion with model yachts.
A small group of members had a very enjoyable picnic lunch at Lawrie and Kaye Placing’s house for Australia Day. The Placings provided ice-creams for all those there, in lieu of the traditional January ice-cream run to Noonies. Weather was good, and those of us who attended had a great time and an overload of ice-creams. Thanks Lawrie and Kaye for your ongoing hospitality.

The MSCA 50th Anniversary picnic is being held at the Mount Barker Oval on Sunday 25th February. We are making this an official club event, and hope that there will be a strong turnout. Roger Lange is organising a club display, and we have been successful in the past in winning the award for best club display. The venue is the shady western end of the Mount Barker Oval complex. Assembly of cars in club display groups are to be in place by 11.00 am. BYO everything for a picnic lunch. Talk to Neil Martin, Duane Kaak or Roger Lange if you would like more information or encouragement. Lots of us are going, so please, come along and enjoy the camaraderie.

Lastly, the All British Day is at Echunga Oval of Sunday 3rd March. There are 800+ people who have entered for this year event. Registrations closed some time ago, however if you have not registered, please still think about coming along as a spectator. It is always a great day, and this year, we plan to have our gazebos firmly tied down to heavy objects (e.g. Triumphs) to avoid a repeat of last year’s debacle.

I look forward to seeing as many members as possible at our February meeting. I believe supper may even include ice-creams for a lucky few.

Regards
Alex Smithson

President

The after Christmas run on Thursday 28th December was a delightful affair, with in excess of 30 members enjoying a wonderful jaunt through the Adelaide hills that are remarkably green for this time of year. Our group showcased around 20 Triumphs with Stags and TR4s and 6s the most prevalent.

We gathered at the rear car park of the Feathers Hotel and took off around 11.00 am through the upper reaches of Burnside, past the Glen Osmond Golf Club, on and off the freeway quickly to take in the old Princes Highway and past The Eagle on the Hill, on and off the freeway once again and then taking a left turn before entering Stirling and on to Mylor, Echunga and finally Macclesfield.

Lunch had been arranged at The Macclesfield Hotel which has undergone substantial renovation and extensions over recent times. Several benches had been reserved for us under the outside shaded area, the meals were reasonably priced and substantial, and everyone enjoyed the friendly chatter over a cold beverage or two. All rated the Hotel highly for ambience and service.

The weather treated us kindly, with perfect conditions for roof down Triumph cruising. All in all, a great run – if you missed it, too bad. Maybe next time?

The 42^nd TSOA Nationals were held in the last week of October, and were very successful, despite the less than perfect weather. The week-long event was at Lady Bay Resort, Warrnambool. The “Shipwreck Coast” as this locale is known, is one of the most stunning parts of Australia. TSOA Victoria organised a great week which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those attending.

I have done a full report of the event, and this is available on the TSOASA website. Some noticeable highlights were, however as follows:

Show and Shine winners: 1^st– Trevor Norris (Dolomite Sprint) Vic; 2^nd – Ron Farrugia (TR5) Vic; 3^rd  -Dino Vettese (TR6) SA; 4^th – Lisa Vettese (Stag) SA;  5^th – Geoff Byrne (TR6) NSW; 6^th – Alex Smithson (TR5) SA.

Movie watched at Port Fairy’s historic Reardon Picture Theatre – early 1970’s Australian cult classic, “The Cars that Ate Paris”. Reviews mixed.

Ironman Trophy winner – Western Australia. (Controversial as team only comprised two people, Ron and Leigh Marian).

It was a fabulous week of great food, great company, great events, and of course, great Triumphs. There were attendees from all mainland states, with a South Australian contingent of 17 attending. We are now looking forward to Albany next year.

I understand from the WA organisers, that Albany is already fully subscribed, however TSOA members can still place their names on the waiting list. We know, from previous experience, that as the event gets closer, there will be inevitable cancellations and I strongly recommend anyone interested to get their names on the waiting list post-haste, as offers will be made when cancellations occur on a strict order of initial application. Register at: https://tsoa-wa.com/triumph-tsoa-nationals-2024/.

Our Christmas dinner and trophy presentation night was on Saturday at Royal Adelaide Golf Club. Sue Gibson has yet again, done a great job organising this event and the club is greatly indebted to her for her ongoing hard work in making this dinner a real highlight of our club year. Special congratulations to Larie and Kaye Placing for winning the Clubman trophy.

At our November meeting, we also had three cars on stage. Firstly, Peter Bogatec had his TR7V8 displayed.  This car is in great condition, and Peter recently ran it is the Adelaide Rally.  This was not planned, as he had a race car entered, but was not able to use it due to mechanical problems.

Don Richards had his TR250 on display. Don is in the process of restoring two TR6’s and came across this car when sourcing parts for the TR6. Roger Lange commented that Don got it from under his nose, and that he was next in line if the sale to Don had fallen through.

Finally, our secretary, Duane Kaak had his TR7V8 race car on display. This car has had a new motor relatively recently (out of a Range Rover). Duane has had this car for quite a few years, and it has great sentimental value to him. A spur of the moment decision to advertise for a travelling companion to accompany him and share the costs of driving it back from Melbourne to Adelaide all those years ago resulted in him meeting Meranie, who fell in love with the man and his car.

We do not have a meeting in December, and the January meeting will be an informal gathering at the Sporting Car Club. Trevor Hawkins has suggested that we make this a “swap meet” where members bring any relatively small and easily carried parts along to find potential new homes. I will send out an email to all members before the January meeting as a reminder and confirm more details.

Regards

Alex Smithson

It has been 50 years since the establishment of the MSCA for the purpose of providing an entry level motorsport  activity opportunity for members of affiliated clubs, mostly established marques such as MG, Triumph, Healey, Alfa, Jaguar, Mini, Datsun etc. There are currently 18 clubs affiliated with the MSCA here in South Australia.

To celebrate this milestone, a gathering of all the clubs involved is planned to coincide with the annual Picnic and Presentation Day on the last Sunday in February 2024. A special shout out to past competitors to attend and reminisce how things were back in the day and to share some stories about their experiences.

TSOA has been a big part of the MSCA motorsport scene for many years – it was not unusual to have up to 15 or more Triumphs competing on the track at a Mallala sprint event. Interest has waned over recent years as the drivers and cars aged, but the memories of past adventures prevail.

It would be great to have a big turn out of Triumphs and club members to support this event. Talk to Neil Martin, Duane Kaak or Roger Lange if you would like more information or encouragement.

The venue is the shady western end of the Mount Barker Oval complex. Assembly of cars in club display groups to be in place by 11.00 am

BYO everything for a picnic lunch

Our Day of Triumph was held at Civic Park on Sunday 15th October 2023. While the weather wasn’t especially kind we
had 20 entrants and an extra 13 cars on display.
Winners on the day were:
Overall: Trevor Hawkins (TR4A)
Second Overall: Roger Lange (TR7V8)
Third Overall: Lisa Vettese (Stag)
Michelotty Trophy (TR4,4A & 5): Trevor Hawkins
Register Trophy (TR2,3,3A,3B): Colin Baldock
Harris Mann Trophy (Tr7/8): Roger Lange
Concours
TR2/3/3A/3B: Colin Baldock (TR2)
TR4/4A/5/250: Trevor Hawkins (TR4A)
TR7/8: Roger Lange
Stag: Lisa Vettese
Dolomite: Ian Burman
Saloon: Ian Rigby
Pride of Ownership
TR4/4A/5/250: David Stephens (TR5)
TR6: David Marlow
TR7/8: Dean Bogisch
Spitfire/GT6: Nathan Parkes (Spitfire)
Stag: Chris Marshall
Saloon: Rod Hanna
Big thanks to everyone who helped on the day, especially our judges and those of you who brought your cars.
Special Thanks to Ian Rigby for all of his help and support, Marg and Dean Bogisch for their great clerical skills and
my wife Lisa, who without her secretarial skills, none of this would have happened. Also, thanks again to Dino and
Lisa Vittese who provided a subsidised breakfast or lunch for members at Café Primo – all the reports indicated
breakfast was delicious.
Dean Berlemon
2023 DOT Organiser

Hi I’m Natalie, some of you may remember me through being the membership Secretary and also Regalia before that.
After Bob Passed Away, I found that I needed to get out and do things, so I decided to take on the position of Social
Secretary.
My aim is to encourage new members and members we haven’t seen before or for a while, to come to our social
events we have on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
The TSOA club is a fabulously friendly and happy group of people with like minds, namely your cars, as well as
meeting new people and enjoying each other’s company.
Over the years Bob and I have been all over Australia in our Triumph, meeting new friends interstate, and enjoying
meeting them again each year at the National Rally’s, going to places that we would never have visited by ourselves.
So, I hope to see you at some of our events and perhaps participate in setting a run. This could be of new places or
the same ones near Adelaide. This is a chance also to have a run in your car!
My Mobile number is 0455 250 990 if you wish to participate or would like a chat about any ideas you may have
regarding social events, just give me a ring.
Natalie Farrell
Social Secretary

I have wanted a modern audio system in my TR7 V8 for some time, and finally got around to doing it.

This required opening up the centre section of the console to accommodate a Double DIN unit, and finding a head unit that was shallow enough to fit, which I did with an Alpine – not many after market Double DIN units offer the shallow casing that the Alpine has, and even then, it only just fits.

What I now have is a quality sound system complete with Apple Carplay / Android Auto that enables Waze GPS, Spotify music, hands free phone, voice activated everything, etc. Needless to say, I am very happy with the result.

Oh, I also installed a rear view camera that works a treat. The mini camera is mounted centre top of the number plate and is nicely concealed.